Far away, in a land split between darkness and light, on a scattering of suspended isles — each bound through unbreakable chain to the other — seven humans were battling against a pack of corrupted hounds. The leading Nightmare Creature was devoured by fire as Nephis pressed forward. Cassie, to her right, calmly dodged another's claws and lashed out quickly with her rapier, driving the weapon through its eye. Effie, to Nephis' left, madly lunged to meet her foes' assault head on. The beast's corpse was thrown back into the others, mutilated and mangled.
And the four Firekeepers alongside them fought valiantly, each supporting the main trio with their unique Aspects.
The fight proceeded smoothly.
Then Nephis' counter filled.
She grimaced as the fifth core formed, but, long adapted to the pain of her Flaw, she attacked even harder.
The last beast fell just as the Spell whispered its completion.
"Oh, a Memory!"
All eyes turned to Effie.
"What kind?" Nephis asked.
"Hmmm, let's see~" A scattering of sparks gathered in her extended hand. It coalesced into some kind of effigy — its material a dark wood, carved into the shape of a wolf's head. A blue gem sat embedded in its forehead, and tufts of black fur were attached on at random.
"Looks like some kind of tool," Erlas noted.
Cassie nodded.
"I think it'd be best given to Neph," she said.
Effie glared at her.
"What?! But I earned it!" She scoffed. "Princess already gets all the cool Memories, anyway!"
Gorn gave her a placating smile.
"Let's hear her out, Effie. I'm sure Lady Cassia has a good reason for it."
Nephis' face remained impassive, but her head inclined towards the blind seer.
Cassie awkwardly looked to the side.
"Well, you see…"
***
'Pawn to E4.'
Nico's piece magically slid from E2 to the designated position. The chess pieces and the board were both made from the mist of Shaman. Separating wisps by shade and shaping them into constructs proved to be a challenge for the wraith, but being an Ascended Devil with abilities related to the mind meant that, in the end, it was only a matter of time before it accomplished its task.
They were still within the living room of Nico's quarters. Tessai was scrolling on his communicator in the reclining chair, and Nico was sitting on the couch. Shaman sat cross-legged in the air opposite him.
Shaman's pawn slid from E7 to E5.
'Bishop to C4.'
The piece, this time, hopped from one square to the next.
'Odd.'
The past month of separation had shown Nico that Shaman was very capable of performing and understanding basic tasks outside of combat. It had interacted with members of the Song clan on the daily, read and comprehended books, and dissected monsters by the dozen.
More knowledge meant more strength, so he had decided to play a couple games and gauge its strategic mind.
Tessai side-eyed him skeptically.
"You're weird, you know that?"
Shaman slid his knight to C6. Nico developed his queen to F3.
"It's not an Echo, Tessai. It's a living thing. It can learn."
The man's face wrinkled up.
"You — Ugh, that only proves my damn point. You don't understand."
Nico shook his head.
"I do. You consider me weird because I state what you think without any tact. Is there a reason that I shouldn't?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Maybe you could get laid?" Tessai snorted.
Nico watched Shaman stare at the board in thought.
"How hilarious," he said.
The giant snorted, then raised an eyebrow.
"You understand sarcasm?"
"Don't assume the way I talk to you is how I talk to everyone. I could be plenty sociable and charming if I wished."
Shaman, after a while of inaction, moved its knight to F6 — blocking the impending checkmate from Nico's queen.
'It certainly learns quickly.'
"Huh. Then why haven't you?"
Nico sighed.
"I have no sexual desire."
Tessai grinned shamelessly.
"But if you were placed in a room with a thousand other people who desperately—"
"Quiet," Nico ordered. "I will not answer that question."
"Oh, but you should be curious, right? Shit, I am."
"I have enough self-control not to be affected by your vulgar mind."
This time, Tessai couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
Losing its focus, Shaman forgot all about the chess board. The structure began to dissolve, and by the time it noticed, the image of what the chess board had looked like before had all but faded from its mind.
The wraith slinked a couple inches back as Nico's cold gaze settled onto its own fiery one.
Sighing, Nico glanced at his communicator and stood up. It was around six in the afternoon.
"We can leave early."
Tessai groaned, about to sit up, but stopped once Nico shook his head.
"Not this time. You make sure to return to the Dream Realm by midnight."
He discarded his robe and manifested a new set of clothes at the same time. They settled comfortably, a pair of khaki slacks and a long-sleeve gray sweater. Beneath the sweater was a white dress shirt. He rolled up the sleeves, tucked in his sweater, and adjusted his collar.
Shaman drifted closer, burying its body beneath the fabric.
'Let's go check up on Sunless. Now that it's about time to return to the Dream Realm, it'd be a shame if I did so without testing my theory.'
***
Nephis returned to Earth before dawn. Her luxury sleeping pod, buried within the basement of her family's last remaining property, her manor, quietly slid open. She stepped out onto the floor and dressed herself.
It wasn't often she returned to the real world, but today she had to visit someone — someone very dear to her. Not a day went by where she didn't think about him, and not a week ever passed where she never visited him.
To think it'd only been two and a half months ago.
'Sunny…'
She pulled up his runes — she often did — to make sure he was still alive out there.
Then, she noticed, just like she had since the end of that first month, that his fragment counter had increased.
'He must be fighting in the Dark City.'
Her lips pursed ever so slightly.
'He is strong. He will live.'
She often had to remind herself that she couldn't always worry about him. After a few breaths, she steadied herself and exited the small room her pod was situated in. The bustle of the manor finally reached her ears. The place was always busy, but two guards saluted her as she exited from her room.
Everyone here — her Firekeepers — had worked tirelessly to repair and reestablish the Immortal Flame's glory. And while not all resided in the Chained Isles, whenever they returned to the waking world, they awoke here.
Resolutely, she engaged in the mountain of tasks that had awaited her. She had to host speeches, visit hospitals, and appear to defend gate crises. She had to approve propaganda posts for the government to use. She had to manage the wealth of her clan, distribute Memories, and sell soul shards. It was overwhelming, but luckily she had Cassie.
And Cassie took to this kind of work like a duck to water.
The day swiftly passed due to their collective efforts, and it was quickly noon.
"I think it's time for you to take a break."
Nephis glanced at Cassie and raised a brow. They had only just begun to read through the dozens of emails that awaited their shared attention.
Cassie smiled sadly.
"You haven't visited Sunny yet, have you?"
Nephis' eyes softened.
"No — I have not."
Her lips opened, then closed.
"Don't worry," Cassie said, giggling. "I'll be fine. Go see him. We can work into the night."
Nephis nodded resolutely. She had many things to share with him this week.
"I will return shortly."
***
Nico watched as the gates of the Awakened Academy slowly lowered. Already having been notified of his arrival, several patrolling Awakened stood across the bridge to greet him.
He calmly crossed to the other side.
"Greetings, Dawn Eternal."
Nico briefly glanced towards the woman — a government official dressed in a dark blue uniform with silver epaulettes. Her curly hair was a dark shade of brown, and her eyes remained hidden behind a pair of polarized sunglasses. Three stars were pinned to her shoulder.
'An Ascended,' Nico remarked, then stopped in front of her and outstretched his hand. 'I'm not to her liking.'
She grasped his hand a little too firmly.
"My name is Winter. I happen to be here on business, so I will be accompanying you through the Academy."
Nico showed no sign of discomfort.
"I have no need for a guide, Master Winter. Could you make yourself useful elsewhere?"
Winter shook her head. The Awakened around her hid their dirty looks but couldn't repress the distaste in their souls.
"This is regulation for all who are not residents of the Academy," she said.
'It seems they have gotten quite protective over Sunless' wellbeing.'
Nico shrugged, then walked past her and the other Awakened.
"Do as you will."
And that they did, the Awakened falling into step right behind him. Winter walked at his side.
A soul root coiled around Shaman's four cores as they entered the Sleeper Compound.
"Where is Sleeper Sunless? I'll visit him."
Winter stiffened.
"We're not—"
"The third basement floor. His room number is seventy."
The Ascended woman's head snapped towards her subordinate in shock, and the man blinked a couple times in a daze. Silent words were exchanged between the two. Winter's hidden glare burned into the side of Nico's head as she spun back around.
"Apologies, Awakened Nico, but I'm afraid we cannot take you there. It's off-limits."
Another guard happily chirped:
"But I thought Lady Nephis comes to visit all the time!"
Now, it was Nico's turn. He slowed, stopped walking, and turned toward the Ascended. His icy eyes — glowing faintly with luminescent white sparks — bore deep into Winter's glasses. She stood steady, her teeth grit and fists balled.
"The government has been forsaking the privacy of its residents to curry favor with Changing Star."
It was not a question, but a statement of fact. There was no room for error in it, and though Winter said nothing, Nico noticed something glowing behind her glasses.
"You forget your place," he continued. "Remain neutral. It is in the best interest of the government that they do not favor third parties by bending the rules."
"I understand, however—"
"Master Winter?"
Nico's eyes swiveled towards the new voice. There she was — finally — entering through the doors. Her long, silver hair framed her face beautifully. Piercing gray eyes studied the group — and him specifically. Dressed in casual clothes, her stoic expression seemed a little silly.
"Changing Star, it's been a while," Nico said flatly.
She stopped before him and Winter, forming a loose triangle.
"Indeed it has." A brief pause. Nico borrowed the surge of protectiveness, self-confidence, and suspicion she felt due to his presence. "I happen to have overheard your conversation. Master Winter was waiting for me, as I had asked in advance to visit the Sleepers of the Academy."
"I see. I do apologize for the interruption, then." He gave her a small smile. The slight twitch of her brow in response did not go unnoticed. "Spare me a few minutes of conversation?"
Changing Star calmly regarded his face, no doubt attempting to assess what it was, exactly, that he wanted from her.
"…Very well."
She beckoned Winter and the other Awakened to make their way forward without her. Winter grimaced slightly, but nodded in affirmation, leaving Nico and Changing Star to stand alone on a path surrounded by swaying grass and flat, reinforced buildings.
'Show me what you've learned, Shaman.'
Nico locked eyes with Changing Star for a moment, both of them stationary as she waited for him to speak. Eventually, he broke eye-contact, crouching down and wading his fingers through the grass.
"I would assume you have a Memory capable of holding private conversations, Nephis?"
Changing Star said nothing, but one of her hands rose, and a wolf-head effigy manifested on her palm. It's third eye shone bright blue, and the sounds of the world around them faded away. The surroundings beyond their immediate area distorted into vague shapes.
Nico chuckled; it came out strangely human, not just a warped parody of real laughter — exactly what someone wouldn't have expected from a person with his Flaw.
"Lady Cassia is such a powerful seer. To send you here just as I enter the Academy — how much of this conversation did she already foresee?"
Nico listened to the words Shaman spewed from his lips carefully. It was a conjecture he had formed just now, but maybe he could acquire himself another Spirit one of these days…
Changing Star remained silent. He knew that it was not because she had been told, but rather that she hadn't.
"Why did you want to see Sunny?"
Nico shrugged.
"I wanted something he has."
"Wanted?" she asked, saying the word slowly — dangerously.
"I have since changed my mind. Although, to soothe your worries, I wouldn't have taken it from him."
"What did you want?" she immediately asked.
Nico rose back to his full height, staring up at the sky.
"That is beyond my willingness to share," he said.
His head turned back towards her.
"Now, I want something you have. Two things, actually."
Her eyes sharpened.
"First, I would like to partner with you."
She took a step forward, and white sparks shone in her irises.
"I am aware of just who and what you are, Nico. Your father butchered my own, and now you are a prince of Song. You served under the Bright Lord like a loyal dog, slaughtering people in his name." She shook her head. "I was willing to ignore your allegiance due to our shared desire in the Dream Realm. Why should I assist you, now, in any way whatsoever?"
Nico matched her step forward with his own, taking back control of his lips from Shaman and saying, "I am aware of just who and what you are as well. I can feel your desires clearly. And I wonder, just how much duty does it take to justify abandoning your own comrade — a member whom had trusted you — in the Dream Realm?"
He stared into her eyes. The mask she wore so tightly chipped in anger. Shaman mentally rebuked him, somehow managing to convey exasperation before continuing on in his stead.
"You assume people are either allies or enemies, good or bad, right or wrong. I am not an enemy because I belong to Song, nor am I an enemy because my father is the Dreamspawn. I spent sixteen years of my life without having ever seen him. When I first met him, he tore my mother apart, brought me to the Dream Realm, and forced me to undertake my First Nightmare."
Changing Star's expression remained unchanged, but Nico felt the shock in her soul.
He let the moment stew, waiting for her to continue.
"Even assuming you speak the truth, what is your true goal here?" Changing Star asked.
Nico smiled, and for the first time it reached his eyes.
"At the moment, I could settle for nothing less than the return of Sunless, the fall of three Supremes, and the eradication of the Nightmare Spell — you truly are ambitious, Changing Star." She did not laugh. "Regardless, I plan to grow. I will ascend as far as possible, nurturing a power capable of securing humanity's position in the Dream Realm."
Then, he smiled wider.
"What if I told you I could help Sunless across the world boundary."
Nephis' impassive exterior finally shattered. She frowned, and her right hand twitched. Her eyes widened, then narrowed into a glare.
"What?"
He held out his hand between them, facing his palm skyward. A singular root extended from the center. Made of ghostly light and veins of light blue essence, it coiled upward, then pointed toward Changing Star.
"You know of the fact that Memories cannot be transferred into the dormant bodies of Sleepers who wander the Dream Realm. You also know that the soul has not left the body — even while wandering the Dream Realm — unless they expire there. That is why the Awakened Academy can even distinguish Hollows from Sleepers."
The root withdrew itself into his hand, and he lowered it back to his side.
"My Dormant Ability acts as a bridge between the two states of being. I can implant one of my roots into his physical body, empower his soul, and then use that root as a conduit to transfer whatever armament you wish for him to obtain. I could even leave the root there, empowering his soul."
Her mouth opened, then closed. Still smiling wolfishly, he leaned closer — only a few inches from her face.
"My Aspect has only grown stronger since rising in rank, too. I could attempt forcefully Awakening him. I could feed him my own essence. I could—"
"What else do you want?"
She had reassembled her impassive facade, and her hand calmy rose to push Nico away.
He let his smile dip a little.
"You said you wanted two things. What is the other?"
"Your blood — a full glass of it."
One of her brows rose. She no doubt knew his Aspect was related to souls and creation, so asking to obtain any piece of her personage would no doubt be questionable.
"Why?"
His smile fully dropped, and then he took a chance.
"Your seer has led you here to talk to me, hasn't she? If my terms were unreasonable she would've warned you."
There was a long moment of silence as she thought. It stretched for a full minute, and then she dismissed the effigy Memory she had used to keep their conversation private.
"We will discuss this later. Follow me."
Nico reassumed control of his body.
'Good job.'
Shaman mentally implied that if he hadn't said anything, the conversation could've gone much more smoothly. Nico didn't care.
They met Winter and the other Awakened back in the Sleeper compound's entrance. Tapping her foot, the Ascended woman brightened upon seeing Changing Star, then dimmed in equal measure upon noticing him.
"I would like to bring Awakened Nico with me to visit Sleeper Sunless," Nephis said.
Winter's lips pursed.
"…the rest of you can go," she said to her Awakened companions. They saluted her and disappeared back out the entrance.
Nephis stepped forward, leading both Winter and Nico to the elevator that would take them down to the next floors. The walk was tense and silent. Nobody much wanted to talk, and there seemed to be an unwritten animosity between the Ascended and Nico — or maybe just the Great Clans in general since he was a child of Song.
"You are brash, Master Winter," Nico stated as they walked through the sterile halls towards Sunless' room. "What sort of history do you have with the Great Clans?"
The aforementioned Ascended kept her head straight, but Nico imagined she was looking at him from behind her dark glasses. He could feel her discomfort spike at the mention of the clans. It seemed he was right.
"That is none of your business," she curtly replied.
Nico stared at her, then looked straight and pushed the woman from his mind.
They soon reached the right room. Nephis stopped before the door, and Winter unlocked it after a series of brief scans.
Nico studied the thick, metal pod at the center of the room as soon as they entered. There was a glass window that allowed full vision of Sunless' face, neck, and shoulders. Nico stepped closer alongside Changing Star, observing boy's dark features briefly before turning to her.
'He's a third one.'
It was something he'd felt with his soul sense earlier, but being this close confirmed it. Sunless now had two Soul Cores. Or, whatever he had instead of normal cores. Nico suspected it to be a change related to the Shadow God, but now that he had gotten closer, he could smell something else on him…
"I'll rejoin you outside, Master Winter," Changing Star said.
The Ascended glanced at him, nodded, and left. Once the door shut she resummoned her wolf effigy and activated its enchantment.
Her eyes locked onto him calmly.
"I will grant you my blood on two conditions, Nico," she said. "First, you transfer Memories of my choosing to Sunless and do not inhibit or harm him in any way. Second, you tell me why it is that you need my blood, and if it is for a reason that I deem harmless, only then will I give it to you."
It would seem she would not accept his earlier reassurance.
"That is acceptable," Nico agreed. He hadn't acquired any sort of partnership, and he would have to divulge why he wanted to take her blood, but in truth, the first request was rather unnecessary — more to convince her he wanted to be an ally than anything else — and the fact that he could assimilate lineages wasn't something he would be bothered by her knowing now that it was guaranteed that he would receive hers. "I assume this will take place at a later date?"
Changing Star nodded.
"I will have Cas contact you when I've assembled the Memories and arranged time for a meeting."
Kai would be at that meeting, no doubt.
Her hand reached out. Nico grasped it, and a spark of light traveled between them.
[You have received a Memory.]
"Prove to me that you can accomplish what you say you can."
Nico nodded, noted that she had said "prove" as though she could actually check whether he had or hadn't completed the task, and then raised his arm and prepared himself.
***
Somewhere within the ruins of the Dark City, a dark-haired boy was battling against one of the many ancient Fallen that remained. Though small, he was a blur of practiced movement and dark leather. A statue black as night followed his movements — his Shadow, brought back from death to fight alongside him. Empowered by two augmentations and aided by his ally, he methodically beat down his opponent.
His black eyes, abyssal pools of spite, grief, and emptiness, bore into the enemy as he prepared to deal the finishing blow.
And then something invaded his soul.
'Wh-What?!'
There was a strange feeling in his chest, and he felt as though something were to devour him from the inside out.
He resisted the urge to scratch at his sternum and delivered the final blow.
[You have received a Memory.]
[You have slain a Fallen Beast, Plague Bearer.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
'I received the Memory before I killed it…'
Something wasn't right, but before he could ponder why, the foreign sensation vanished. He pulled up his runes, and sure enough, a new Memory was in his storage.
'No… how?"
The thing was, he had seen that name — that very description, tier, and rank — in Nephis' runes only a few days ago.
Nephis… had managed to transfer him a Memory across worlds.